Do you feel that summer is getting out of hand? Are we really in the middle of July already? What happened? Where has the time gone? It looks like the kids just got out of school and there are already signups for the back to school sales. What’s going on here?

Well, it’s not too late to save your summer. True, in times of lighter purses and tighter belts, we’ve had to adjust a lot of summer plans. However, do not leave everything! Here are some fun and whimsical ways to capture your part of summer before it “drops.”

plan a stay  

Did you have to cancel the family vacation? Maybe you didn’t even bother planning one? You are not alone. Still, it’s important to ‘get away’ even if it’s from the daily grind of things. And you don’t have to go far to do that. Plan a stay-cation. Use your house as a kind of resort. Plan your meals, even prepare some ahead of time, and plan some local activities. Visit a museum you haven’t seen yet. Take a tour of the factory. Plan a night to review old photos with the family and tell stories as you go. Camp in your backyard. Sometimes even offering to watch someone else’s house will provide a little escape. You don’t have to break the bank or lie on a beach to regain your sanity!

make ice cream  

Remember the School House Rock show? One of the segments taught how to make popsicles in ice trays. Simply pour your favorite fruit drink into the ice tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and insert a toothpick through the plastic into each of the cube sections. Freeze and go: popsicles!

Summer breeds creativity. Maybe it comes from our summers of yore without school, I’m so bored, but there are always fun things to do and do. Let the summer sun stir those brain cells and come up with all sorts of impromptu ideas, crafts, games, and other things to do.

roast everything  

Grilled food is the best! It’s tasty, good for you, and so easy. Also, the smell of coal is an official smell of summer. And you don’t have to restrict your grilling to meat and seafood. You can grill almost anything. Have you tried grilled asparagus, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, or even pineapple slices? You can even grill pizza! yum.

Feeling a little intimidated by the open fire? Check out many of the grilling resources out there. Search engines are a blast! Many kitchen supply stores even offer lessons this time of year, so cross those excuses off your list, put on those big warm mitts, and get cooking.

Have a summer film festival  

Gather your fabulous friends and enjoy a festival of classic summer movies. let movies like Itching seven years, Summer timeY Suddenly last summer dance across your screen. If you really want to fly, hang a sheet in the garage, grab the lawn chairs, rent a projector, and have your own open theater. What a great way to get to know your neighbors and provide an inexpensive way for friends to enjoy a night out, too!

ban electronics  

Summer is a great time to be adventurous and curious. This is really hard to do if you’re stuck in front of a computer game, a phone app, or your social network du jour, all day, every day. Get outside! Go for a walk. Read a great book. Follow the trails of the ants. Visit a farm. Bicycling. Sitting in a cafe and people watching. Try to connect, really connect, with the people around you. Turn off the TV and have a great meal (great grilled food!) with your loved ones. Ask each other new questions and get to know each other better. People say that all of our devices keep us connected, but there’s no substitute for face-to-face dialogue, wrestling on the lawn amidst giggling children, or the feeling of holding hands on an evening stroll.

Summer doesn’t have to fly by. Grab him by the horns today and make your claim. Soon the weather will change and the Christmas decorations will be up, for Pete’s sake. Think outside the box and make your summer the best ever before it’s too late!